Cycling Advice For Women In Iran

Cycling as a woman in Iran can make even the least-fashion conscious personCycling fashion in Iran spend hours pondering their wardrobe.

It’s not forbidden for women to ride a bicycle in  Iran but the law insists that every woman conform to the Islamic laws of hijab or dressing modestly, which makes planning a cycling outfit slightly tricky and discourages most local women from ever getting on a bicycle.

For you, the tourist, the dress code means your favourite pair of lycra shorts will definitely not be making an appearance! As a foreigner you’ll be cut a bit of slack on how you interpret the dress code but it still requires a significant change for most women from how they normally dress. Here’s how Friedel typically appeared while touring Iranian cities (with some practical modifications for cycling; a different headscarf).

How To Wear It In Iran

Cover Up
Whether on or off the bike, you will have to:

  • Wear a headscarf
  • Ensure your arms and legs are fully covered
  • Make sure your bottom is covered at least down to mid-thigh with a second garment.

Perhaps surprisingly, the dress code does not extend to your feet. It’s perfectly fine to wear a pair of sandals and many Iranian women do just that!

The only time you can relax and fling off your layers of clothing is in the privacy of your tent or hotel room. When you are invited to someone’s home, they will often invite you to take off your headscarf to make you feel more comfortable but continue to refrain from rolling up your shirt sleeves or revealing even a small part of your legs.

Forget bringing an ankle-length skirt for off-bike days. Only nomadic women wear these and their skirts are far more colourful and eye-catching than anything you will bring from home. Many women wear the chador, but of course this is not so practical for cycling and not necessary.

Get a manteau
Another popular choice is a coat known as a “manteau” which usually comes down to about knee-level. You can buy these coats everywhere in Iran, starting from about 150,000 Rials (approximately $15).

The manteau is wonderful for walking around town and will certainly help you fit-in with the trendy Iranian women who place a high emphasis on looking good. Beneath their manteaus and headscarves are the latest fashions; often skin-tight jeans, high-heeled boots and always lots of make-up.

On the bike, the manteau may be too restrictive. You’ll have to try it and see if it works for you. The safer but less stylish option is an extra long shirt. You can either make this a t-shirt and wear it over a second shirt with longer sleeves or get one loose-fitting shirt that will cover both arms and bottom. For your lower half, cycling with lycra leggings is a good choice, or just get a long pair of trousers and don’t forget trouser clips to prevent fabric getting stuck in your gears.

Lighter is better
When buying all of these things, think about the weight of the fabric and what the temperatures will be like when you are in Iran. You won’t be able to shed layers or roll up your sleeves easily so you’ll sweat more than normal. You want something that is going to breathe well and wash easily at the end of the day.

Headscarves
Any square scarf will do the job as long as you can tie it under your neck and manage to cover most of your hair, making you look like you’ve stepped straight out of the 1950s. Make sure it is securely tied. The movements of the bike and the wind from passing traffic can easily jiggle the knot loose. Safety pins can help keep things in place.

Longer rectangular scarves are another option but they’re harder to tie nicely for the uninitiated.

The easiest choice is a one-piece hijab that fits over your head snuggly and requires no tying. They’re not as colourful or fashionable but they stay in place and are less hassle if you haven’t had years of practice learning how to tie a headscarf like most Iranian women. You don’t see many of these in Iran but they are very popular and cheap in Syria if you’re going there first. An interesting UK company selling one-piece hijabs designed for sport is The Hijab Shop, and you may also find them in markets across Europe, in cities with a large Islamic population. For example, we see hijabs at our local market in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Other than the dresscode, there’s not a lot to worry about as a woman in Iran. Unwanted hassle and flirting from men is much less than in other parts of the Middle East (almost non-existent). If travelling with a man, Iranian men may only talk to your male companion and direct all questions about you through him. It will be assumed that men you are cycling with are in your immediate family (husband, brother, uncle). If this is not the case, it may be best to just make up a story to that effect.

Further Reading:

Comments

  1. Frederike
    26th September 2010 at 10:13 am #

    Thanks for the ideas, I need to go shopping today for my Iran outfit! We’re about to enter Iran and I’m planning to wear a buff, balaklava style, under my cycling helmet. It doesn’t look very stylish but doesn’t seem to slip, so it should be quite practical for cycling, and easily washable. I will also use a slightly more stylish scarf for when we are in towns etc.

  2. Kimmi Kifun
    27th October 2011 at 3:10 pm #

    Thanks a million!!! I was worried about wearing Lycra leggings, as I wasn’t sure about having tight clothing but you have cleared that up for me! In Erzincan so getting my outfit ready to cross the border in a few days.

    By the way you site is absolutely amazing, super helpful!!!

    Love love love

    Kimmi

  3. Eve
    29th March 2013 at 2:01 am #

    Thanks heaps for you website! It’s a goldmine of good advice!

    I was wondering if you think a head scarf about 75cm x75cm (30 inch) square is big enough. That is a standard scarf size here, but I noticed a lot of the traditional hijabs are 1×1.5m or so.

  4. Ahmad
    15th April 2013 at 3:21 pm #

    Hello I’m an Iranian guy and I just randomly hit your your website. I welcome those who want to visit Iran. But the main point which is usually not mentioned in most sites is the place you want to go in Iran. Some parts of Iran show a higher crime rate, which I suggest you to be carefull about it. There are lots of civilized and good people in Iran but there also some punks which even make trouble for us sometimes. Avoid secluded areas, and the best caution is to have an Iranian tour guy from a registered agency to accompany you. In that case you will be absoloutely fine and you are going to have a good time.

  5. Adam
    21st July 2013 at 8:19 am #

    You do not need a tour guy/guide from any sort of agency – it’s far better if you don’t. What I do recommend though, is signing up to CouchSurfing.org and getting in touch with people in the areas you want to visit – many of them will host you, tell you about their lives and you can do the same in return. Iranians are world-renowned for their hospitality, you shan’t be disappointed!

  6. azadeh
    22nd December 2013 at 10:25 pm #

    hi
    I am an iranian girl
    I do not think iran is a safe place for women
    In iran unfortunately men even in street or other public areas do not respect your privacy
    They look you in a way that suffer you
    And they tell you the words that has a dismal bottom line for your soul
    I should own up to the fact that there is a park which is provided with cycling path but it has written on the board in middle of park.
    and also rental bycicles
    “Women’s cycling is forbidden”(family park in karaj)
    what a shame!!!!!
    My dream is one day I can be able to go my work by bycicle let a lone biking as a tourist
    To the best of my recollections, I could cycle in part of kish around sea for two days that it is fresh in my mind.

  7. sedighe
    5th February 2014 at 3:16 pm #

    I’m an Iranian girl, too
    Im cycling wherever and whenever i want
    Ofcourse there is bad talking, whistling and interrupting gestures. But that’s it. As a tourist government will treat more gentle with your hijab than ours.

    • Albiville4
      25th February 2014 at 5:29 am #

      Great advice thanks. We are going to Iran soon, not cycling unfortunately but we are taking our kids who are 7 (boy) and 10 (girl). Our daughter will presumably have to following the dress restrictions especially as she is tall with blond hair and blue eyes and looks older than 10. Your advice here is very helpful for both of us. Sedighe – good for you, keep riding and enjoying it!

    • azadeh
      25th February 2014 at 8:31 pm #

      Hi sedighe
      I am glad that U have the ability for cycling whenever and wherever U want.
      Please give me a piece of advice due to I will be able ,too.
      And I have some question too
      Did you ever want to cycle
      as a turist
      I mea on the roads between cities
      And if yes,did U Have any accompany or partner?
      As U Know alone girls have too many challenges to

      grapple with
      Thank U

      • sedighe
        25th February 2014 at 10:23 pm #

        Hi azadeh
        I don’t have enough money for buying a good bicycle and other equipments for travelling on the roads. But there are a lot of agencies for this kind of trips.
        I have some friends in shahrood and mashhad who do cycling both in city and roads, in group of coarse. I mean for cycling in city you just need your spirit but for cycling on the roads you unfortunately need to be in group and of course have some money.
        زوج میانسالی در شاهرود میشناسم که احتمالا پایه ایرانگردی با دوچرخه باشن

      • sedighe
        25th February 2014 at 10:27 pm #

        دنبال این بودن که اینکارو بکنن، اگر تمایل و البته آمادگی جسمیشو داری میتونم برنامشونو برات بپرسم

      • sedighe
        21st March 2014 at 2:08 pm #

        Hey azadeh, if you are still in tehran, it is very good time for cycling. City is empty

    • Jen
      18th April 2015 at 7:48 am #

      Hi Sedighe,

      I would love to talk to you more about cycling as a woman in Iran. I am planning a cycling trip to Iran and would love to meet and/or talk with Iranian women who cycle.

      Jen

      [email protected]

  8. Huda
    17th March 2014 at 12:03 am #

    Exactly what I, as a Canadian Muslim, try to dress like on and off my bike. 🙂 Good Advice!

    • azadeh
      18th March 2014 at 2:11 pm #

      Hi Huda
      Please explain more
      Thank U

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